Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today urged people to save wetlands as they save humanity by serving as a source of drinking water and reducing flooding.
On the occasion of the World Wetlands Day, the minister appealed to people to put their heart and soul into developing a strong movement for 'Green Good Deeds' in this country.
"They (wetlands) serve as a source of drinking water, reduce flooding and the vegetation of wetlands filters domestic and industrial waste and improves water quality. Save them, save humanity," the minister said.
"I think this is our Green Social Responsibility towards the society and the nation and of course for this whole planet," he said.
The minister also interacted with hundreds of school and college students, who came to observe the World Wetlands Day with him.
"It is our solemn duty to protect the rights of the children, who are yet to take birth. It is our duty also to ensure that we give back to our children an environment which is clean and green," he said.
An exhibition of posters on World Wetlands Day was also organised by the National Museum of Natural History, under the environment ministry.
The environment ministry in collaboration with forest department of Assam also organised the national-level celebration of World Wetlands Day (WWD), 2018, at Deepor Beel, a wetland site in Guwahati, today.
Environment secretary C K Mishra delivered the keynote address at the event.
Every year, February 2 is celebrated as World Wetlands Day, to mark the date of adoption of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Convention was adopted in 1971 at the Iranian City of Ramsar. India is a party to the Convention since 1982.
According to National Disaster Management Authority, over 40 million hectares, 12 per cent of land in India, is prone to floods and river erosion. Wetlands in India account for 4.7 per cent of the total geographical area.
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